Article Courtesy of The Orlando Sentinel
By Stephen Hudak
Published October 7, 2015

Bears that lumber into Jay Exum’s yard in Seminole County get their picture taken.

Remote, tree-mounted cameras around his property which backs up to the Wekiwa River conservation area often capture images of bruins snooping for food, sometimes wrestling, or just passing through.

The candid footage is fun to watch, but the videos also helped Exum, a wildlife biologist and an ecological consultant, persuade his homeowners association in Wingfield Reserve to adopt “bear-wise” rules that require residents to use lock-top bear-resistant trash containers.

The pictures are “definitely awe-inspiring and it’s definitely reflective of a great feeling that I have that the bear population is doing fine,” said Exum, who recorded his comments for presentations to the HOA board, a wildlife group and for his website, http://www.exumassoc.com Read more: